Despite the difficult economic situation in Greece and the general situation, e-commerce is flourishing and is expected to grow rapidly. Following the example of the USA, between the years 2010-2013, the profits of e-commerce jumped from 167 million dollars to 263 million dollars, while in 2015 they reached 347 million dollars and possibly by 2018 they will reach 491 million dollars. .
Despite the rapid development of e-commerce, the entry of a business into it should be done properly, methodically, without haste. We give you 8 simple tips to have a successful online store.
No need to hurry
One of the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to e-commerce is rushing. An online store cannot be opened unless everything is done correctly, such as adding text, photos, optimization, ads, etc. We can, however, buy the domain name and create a “coming soon” page to pique the curiosity of users.
Focus on the user
Unfortunately, one of the problems with e-commerce is that customers cannot feel, explore and try the product up close to decide whether to make a purchase. To offset this disadvantage, most stores offer lower prices, free shipping, always in an easy-to-use and fast-paced environment where users can make their purchases.
Make sure everything is working properly
Before, and throughout, e-commerce, we need to invest in testing and analysis. An employee or you could step into the consumer position and visit the website, test the orders, think about what changes need to be made and if the online store is user-friendly enough.
Work in parallel with social media
There is no question of the power of social media. Social networks are the heart of e-commerce marketing, as they allow us to have direct contact with the prospective customer, take a brief look at their social life and ways of reacting, see what they like and make any changes or to update our online store. If we do not want to hire a specialist in social media marketing, we can deal with this part ourselves.
It is also good to include in our online store reviews, comments and various buttons to connect with social media to get closer to customers.
Create a mobile version
According to Goldman Sachs, tablets and mobile phones will play a very important role in the coming years. It is estimated that purchases via mobile phones and tablets will skyrocket to $ 626 million by 2018, from $ 204 million in 2014, which provides an online store with a responsive design, or version for mobile phones and tablets.
Stay on top
As the e-commerce economy grows, so will the competition in the coming years. This means that more and more online stores will be vying for a place at the top of search engine results. We understand that optimizing our online store is very important and we will need to hire a specialist in the field.
Gather information
In case you are planning to open other online stores, it is good to create a database and at the same time collect customer data to help in the future. You could announce via newsletters about upcoming online stores, or about products you have.
Do not stop evolving
Advances in technology and the Internet are part of survival. Consumer preferences, daily habits and trends of the time are constantly changing. Adapt to the ever-changing market landscape.
